Mario Williams' decision to sign with the Buffalo Bills is a coup for an organization — and a community — that needed it.

The Bills used to be a NFL heavyweight, going to four consecutive Super Bowls. That was in the 1990s — a long time and a lot of losses ago. They haven't made the playoffs since 1999. The image of Buffalo is more grit than glamour.

For Williams to choose the Bills sends a message that he believes they won't go another 12 years before their next playoff game. We'll see if he's right. But for now, it's a feel-good moment for Bills fans.

Williams was beaming at his Thursday afternoon press conference, and Bills fans were smiling back.

"You don't get many chances like this, to come in and be the guy who can help the team get across the hump," Williams said. "That's definitely what I'm here for. I feel like it's a great opportunity. I'm ecstatic."

This is more of a gamble for the Bills that it is for Williams. He took the money, and a bundle of it — six years, $96 million, $50 million guaranteed. Who turns down that kind of loot? As the marquee defensive player on the free-agent market, Williams played his negotiating leverage perfectly.

Once the Bills brought Williams to town on the first day of free agency, it would have been a major blow to Buffalo if he had left without a deal. Williams had options — plenty of them. If the Bills wanted Williams, they had to pay dearly.

Williams' track record suggests the Bills will get a nice return on their investment. He is an elite pass rusher, he is 27 years old, he plays hard, he plays while injured and by all reports he is a first-class person. He seems the kind of player who can handle the pressure this contract will bring. Remember, he was the No. 1 pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, when many people thought the Texans should have taken Reggie Bush or even Vince Young. Williams proved good enough to handle the expectations.

"I've dealt with more adversity than most," said Williams, who missed the last 11 regular-season games of 2011 and two playoff games with a torn pectoral muscle. "There's no pressure. I've played against great quarterbacks. I'm looking forward to playing against these (AFC East) quarterbacks and chasing them down a little bit."

However, Williams is only a piece, not a solution. During Williams' first five seasons with the Texans, they failed to make the playoffs. Some of the defenses Williams played on in Houston were flat-out terrible. Even if Williams produces 10 to 15 sacks per season, the Bills' supporting cast has to help Williams make this team a contender again.

The Bills were 6-10 last season, and lost eight of their last nine games. Asking them to win 10 games or more next season is asking a lot. It will happen only if quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick plays much better.

Fitzpatrick played like two different quarterbacks in 2011. Through the first seven games, the Bills went 5-2 as Fitzpatrick had 14 TD passes and seven interceptions. But over the final nine games, the Bills were 1-8 as Fitzpatrick had 10 TD passes and 16 interceptions.

In late October, the Bills signed Fitzpatrick to a six-year, $59 million contract, paying him like a franchise quarterback. Right after that, Fitzpatrick stopped playing like a franchise quarterback.

Even more than Williams, how Fitzpatrick goes next season will be how the Bills go. If Fitzpatrick plays well, the Bills will look like they did last September and October, maybe even better. If Fitzpatrick struggles, Williams will not be able to make up for the void.

The Bills are still in the AFC East, where the New England Patriots have ruled for so long. As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are together, it's hard not to make them the favorites in the division until somebody proves they are not.

At least Bills fans have legitimate reason to expect better days. General manager Buddy Nix, coach Chan Gailey and defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt have a vision and they are executing it.

This team should improve over last season's 29 sacks. Having Williams at end in a 4-3 next to tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams should give the Bills one of the league's best defensive lines. Mario Williams said that the presence of Kyle Williams and Dareus, and the recruiting pitch made by Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, were major factors in making Buffalo more attractive.

Williams could have gone somewhere sexier. He could have certainly gone somewhere warmer. Instead, Williams signed with the Bills, and future free agents will take notice.

"I came into this with a complete open mind," Williams said.

When Williams made up his mind, Buffalo was the choice. Call it a huge victory for a small-market team.